Paint can opener and hanger



Sept. 7, 1965 w. E. TATTRIE.

PAINT CAN OPENER AND HANGER Filed July 11, 1965 PATENT AGENT United States Patent 3,204,907 PAINT CAN OPENER AND HANGER William E. Tattrie, 79 Harold St., Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada Filed July 11, 1963, Ser. No. 295,290 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-211) Tln's application is a continuation-in-part of United States application Serial No. 169,549, filed January 26, 1962, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a tool or device for opening paints cans and for suspending paint cans from, ladders.

In the past, tools or devices designed to open paint cans, and devices designed to suspend paint cans from ladders, were available separately. The prior devices were not always satisfactory and it was not always convenient to have two separate tools on hand. The present invention provides a combination device that may be used to open a paint can and that may also used to suspend a paint can or pail by its wire handle from a ladder in a simple and improved manner.

The devices available in the past for suspending paint cans from ladders were of various types ranging from a simple hook engaging both a ladder rung and the wire handle of a paint can, to complex clamping devices that clamp to some part of a paint can and engage a ladder rung. The hook, while it is easily made, does not provide a satisfactory support. When a hook support is used to suspend a paint can, the center of the paint can is directly below the rung which the hook engages. This sometimes makes it awkward to put the paint brush into the can, and the can is often suspended so far below the supporting rung that the next lower rung interferes with the can. Also, when a hook support is used, the paint can tends to swing back and forth very easily. The simple hook, therefore, tends to provide a support that is awkward and inconvenient to use.

The aforementioned prior art clamping devices used for supporting paint cans or pails normally comprises a base member having at one end a screw member threadedly engaging the base member and adapted to clamp the side or rim, of a paint can to the base member, and having at the other end an arm adapted to engage a ladder rung. These clamping type hangers or paint can supports may support the paint can in a more accessible or convenient position, but they are relatively expensive and of complicated manufacture.

The present invention provides a device of simple construction which is quickly arranged to support a paint can or pail having a wire handle from a ladder rung in a convenient position for use, and which may also serve as an opener for a paint can.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tool of simple construction for suspending in an improved manner a paint can having a wire handle from a ladder rung.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination tool of simple construction for suspending a paint can from. a ladder in an improved manner and for opening a paint can.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric View of a device according to one form of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the device shown supporting a paint can from a ladder rung with part of the ladder removed for ease of illustration, and

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the device in position to open a paint can.

Briefly, the present invention is a combination tool comprising a unitary strap-having a central body portion lying between parallel planes and first and second end portions lying on one side of said planes, The first end portion has a greater length and extends a greater distance beyond said one side of said planes than the second end portion. The first end portion has a substantially straight terminating section of major extent extending at right angles to the remaining part of the first end portion and directed towards the planes. The second end portion has an arcuate terminating section of minor extent directed towards the planes. The surfaces of the strap are smooth and uninterrupted from end to end.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the device or tool of the invention is indicated generally as 10. The device or tool may conveniently be made of a unitary strip of hard rigid,

material, such as, for example, a strip of iron, steel, or other metal having sufiicient thickness for rigidity. The tool 10 has a body portion 11, which may be referred to as the straight central portion or the portion lying be tween parallel planes, an end portion 12 depending from one end of body portion 11, and an end 14 depending from the other end of body portion 11. Because the tool 10 is conveniently made from a single strip of material, the end portions 12 and 14 are normally coextensive with the body portion 11, that is, the end portions 12 and 14 normally have the same thickness and width as the body portion 11 at the region of dependency. The end portions 12 and 14 both extend to one side of the main or central body portion 11, that is, they both extend outwardly to one side of the planes defining the body portion 11.

The end portion 12 which is preferably curved has a greater length and extends a greater distance to the side of the planes defining the central body portion than the end portion 14. This enables the end portion 12 to project over the top of the rung of a ladder as will subsequently be described. The end portion 12 has a substantially straight terminating section 15 extending substan portion 12 extends or curves. The section 15 may have a sharply squared edge 16 to enable it to be used for light scraping jobs.

The end portion 14 terminates in an arcuate section .17

that extends towards the plane of body portion 11 so that section 17 is directed reversely from the direction in which i the remaining part of end portion 14 extends. The section 17 is reduced in thickness or tapered towards terminating edge 18 to enable section 17 to be used as a prying tool to open a paint can as will be subsequently described in connection with FIGURE 3.

It should be noted that section 15 is large compared to section 17, that is, section 15 is of greater length. Section 15 should be larger to ensure that it engages and retains a paint can handle, while section 15 is adapted to curve around a pain can rim. This will be seen in the description of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the manner in which tool or device 10 is used to support a paint can from a ladder rung is shown. In FIGURE 2 a part of a conventional ladder 20 having an upright or longitudinal member 19 and a rung 21 is shown. One longitudinal member of the ladder is removed for ease of illustration. The device 10 is used to support a paint pail or paint can 22 by a wire handle 23 mounted to opposite sides of can 22. The body portion of tool 10 rests against one side of rung 21 with end portion 12 projecting over the rung 21 to the other side. Section 15 of end portion 12 engages the wire handle 23 so that end portion 12 and 3 section 15 support the wire handle 23 and thus paint-can 22. The section 15 is therefore relatively long to ensure that handle 23 is retained. The wire handle 23 engages the opposite side of rung 21. The section 17 on end por-' tion 14 curves under a depressed part 24 in rim 25 of paint can 22.

When the paint can 22 is being supported as shown in FIGURE 2, the weight of the paint can exerts a downwards force on end portion 12 of tool 10. This force tends to rotate tool as a lever about the point at which body portion 11 contacts the rung 21. The end portion 14 of tool 10 is thusforced outwards and into solid engagement with rim 25.

It will be apparent that the dimensions of tool 10 are not critical and reference to FIGURE 2 will show that they are easily ascertained. By way of example only, it

has been found that a device 10, suitable for supporting a conventional 1 gallon paint can, may be made from a strip of metal about 6 /2 x x /s" formed as shown in the drawings and described.

It will be seen that the tool 10 is easily placed in position to support a paint can, and the tool 10 is easily removed when it is desired to move the can or transfer the support to another rung. The support is also easily reversed if it is desired to dip the brush into the other side of the can. The support, in addition is not subject to swaying because both tool 10 and handle 23 engage the rung on opposite sides. The paint can is supported in a higher position than it would be, for example, with a hook type support, and is clear of the next lower rung.

for a paint can, but also as a paint can opener. Referring now to FIGURE 3, a portion of a paint can 22 and a portion of a paint can cover 26, are shown in section with the tool 10 in position for opening the can, that is for removing cover'26 from can 22. The tapered edge 18 on terminating section 17 is of a thickness that can be inserted between the outer edge of cover 26 and the outermost part of rim 25. By exerting a prying forceon tool 10, with section 17 acting as a fulcrum against the upper and outer part of rim 25, the cover 26 can be forced upwards as shown and removed.

Thus, the tool or device 10 not only providesa simple and convenient support or hanging means for a paint can,

but it also provides a means for opening paint cans. In

d at an 3.1311150 The tool 10 is useful not only as a hanger or support' with said first end portion curving over said rung to project on the opposite side of said rung,

an upwardly projecting terminating section on said first end portion to engage said wire handle,

said first end portion and said upwardly projecting section supporting said wire handle with said handle engaging said opposite side of said rung,

a second end portion depending from said central body portion and lying to said one side'of said central body portion, and

an arcuate paint can rim engaging terminating section on said second-end portion.

2. In combination with a rung of a ladder and a can having a curved wire handle, a can holding tool comprising 4 a unitary metal strap having a central body portion with substantially parallel, smooth, uninterrupted side surfaces extending from end to end thereof defining parallel planes, and first and second end portions each extending in a direction angularly disposed with respect to said planes and lying outwardly on one side of said planes,

said body portion engaging a side of said rung with said first end portion curving over said rung to project on the opposite side thereof, said first end portion having a terminating section extending substantially at right angles to the adjacent remaining part of said first end portion in a direction approaching an extension of said planes forming a wire handle engaging lip supporting said wire handle with said wire handle engaging the said oppositeside of said rung, said second end portion having an arcuate terminating section extending in a direction approaching an extension of said planes and being dimensioned to engage the rim of said can.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 355,754 1/87 Beck 7l7 904,572 11/08 Swain 7l7 918,670 4/09 Guth 7-l7 X 1,703,856 2/29 McKeag 7l7 1,854,069 4/32 Rowe 248210 2,236,187 3/41 Penney 2482l0X 2,524,475 10/50 Renz.

2,524,875 10/50 Beaver 2482l1 2,861,337 11/58 Behlau 7l4.25 X

2,993,672 7/61 Bower 2482ll 3,094,304 6/63 Linder 2482l1 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. MILTON S. MEI-IR, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A RUNG OF A LADDER AND A PAINT CAN HAVING A CURVED WIRE HANDLE, A CAN HOLDING TOOL COMPRISING A FLAT CENTRAL BODY PORTION, A FIRST END PORTION DEPENDING FROM SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND LYING TO ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID BODY PORTION RESTING AGAINST ONE SIDE OF SAID RUNG WITH SAID FIRST END PORTION CURVING OVER SAID RUNG TO PORJECT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID RUNG, AN UPWARDLY PROJECTING TERMINATING SECTION ON SAID FIRST END PORTION TO ENGAGE SAID WIRE HANDLE, SAID FIRST END PORTION AND SAID UPWARDLY PROJECTING SECTION SUPPORTING SAID WIRE HANDLE WITH SAID HANDLE ENGAGING SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID RUNG, A SECOND END PORTION DEPENDING FROM SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION AND LYING TO SAID ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION, AND AN ARCUATE PAINT CAN RIM ENGAGING TERMINATION SECTION ON SAID SECOND END PORTION. 